Tuesday 29 January 2013

When the people are ignored, they are right to protest



Workers’ Party Councillor Ted Tynan has said that last night’s (Jan 28th) protest by anti-household charge and property tax protesters was completely justified because councillors from the major parties have consistently supported austerity and the imposition of unfair charges on working people and their families.

Cllr. Tynan, who called for a referendum on the banking bailout,  said that those councillors who had been most outspoken in condemning last night’s protest were bandying about words such as democracy and mandates when in fact they were supporting policies which were totally anti-democratic.
 


“It is grossly hypocritical for councillors from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Labour Party to lecture others about democracy when they have collectively imposed and maintained the strictures of the Troika in order to bail out insolvent banks and prop up the EU and the Euro project”, he said.
Cllr. Tynan has said that he intends to put the commitment of establishment councillors to the test by putting down a motion to the council demanding a referendum, even at this late stage on the banking bailout which had never been put to the people.

“The ordinary people of this country have been too quiet.   Councillors and others are getting all hot and bothered because people are standing up for once and making their voices heard.   They expect people to sit like spectators at a tennis match as councillors vote for more cuts in services, rent increases and make decisions which impact on people’s lives.  Democracy is not just a word, it means ‘rule of the people’ and if the people are consistently ignored then they must reassert that democracy”, said Cllr. Tynan